Shadows of Truth
by Fist-it-Out
Summary: this is how the story goes…this is how the story goes…this is how the story goes…The stories everyone told, the stories about the history of Seabrook. Except the stories are lies, covers for a darker truth. Addison, a young, flightless, half-fairy, must embark on an adventure to discover the truth about her realm, her history, and her people.


**A/N: Ah, it's ZomSecretSanta time! This is my secret Santa gift to the lovely gogoseabrook (on tumblr)! It's a fairytale story, I love it, I hope y'all love it!**

* * *

The realm of Seabrook: a magical land, beautiful with wild flowers bloom in every square inch. Even in its coldest month, the fairies and pixies still flew, the frost flowers would still bloom under the care of the nymphs and fairies. They were a perfectly planned community; the witches cared for the creatures and kept the order in the realm; dragons and magnificent winged unicorns called alicorns were the fastest forms of transportation for all species that couldn't fly; gnomes managed the gardens, working with elves and nymphs to provide nourishment to all of Seabrook; dwarves worked in construction; brownies beautified the lands and sold their services to homes; leprechauns managed the finances; and fairies worked to create and sell clothing and accessories. Everything was perfect.

Until, of course, it wasn't.

This is how the story goes. Seabrook wasn't the only realm in existence, and, in a ploy to control all eight realms, the leaders of Umeorim conjured thunderbirds—giant demons who's wings could create storms—and used their power to link Seabrook and Nibbecyre, the realm of the underworld. Monsters and demons flooded into the picture-perfect realm. The fairies, gnomes, and brownies were no match for the hoards of monsters. Witches and warlocks protected the land, fighting demons and monsters while training the other creatures for war.

Eleven years of unending violence passed before one witch, Esmeralda Davochi, snuck away into Nibbecyre and waged a peace treaty with their council of leaders. The realms thus became one, monsters and creatures coexisting, moving between Seabrook and Nibbecyre freely. The original monster council of Nibbecyre—a zombie, a bogle, a gorgon, an ogre and a werewolf—merged with a council of Seabrook creatures, including Davochi. Together, the peace and justice between the two realms was restored.

* * *

This is how the story goes, the story everyone told, the story about two witches who wanted more. On a bright day in the middle of winter, a young witch couple were out practicing magic in the fields of Tria, a forest where leimoniads—the spirit of flower groves—and fairies combined their magic to create friera flowers, the birth plant of all fairies.

Missy, a powerful witch descended from the Davochi bloodline, had always been fascinated with the magic other creatures possessed. She had spent years studying the magic powers of the creatures around her, which, several years ago, had led her to her sweetheart, Dalen.

"You want to try and replicate fairy magic?" Dalen asked her incredulously. "For what?"

"It's fascinating, Dear," she explained. "The most peaceful, unproblematic creatures in the entire realm have the ability to create a living, breathing life form. Most of us do it the old fashioned way. Aren't you intrigued with how they can accomplish such a task?"

"You want to figure out how they do it? Missy, you've done a lot of crazy things, but trying to copy combination magic is…"

He trailed off, finally looking at the mischievous, determined look in her eye. He knew that when she got that look, there was no stopping her. And, more importantly, he was much safer helping her stay safe then letting her run wild. Her magic was strong and powerful, more than most witches', and, left unchecked, serious problems would happen.

Together, they hid between trees and bushes, watching as frost and bloom fairies flew around blossoming frieras. The bloom fairies cared for the blossoming frieras while the frost fairies provided the magic to sprout the flowers, seeing as it was the cold season. The winter filled Tria with frost covered plants, a glittering blanket of white going for miles. The buzz of the wings filled Tria; the young couple watched with amazement as two frost fairies changed into _crese_ form, the size of a human from the Terra realm, their translucent wings glittered in the sunlight. Missy and Dalen watch in wonder as a leimoniad emerged from her host.

Missy's eyes blazed bright blue and said, "_Magis_ _clamabat_. _Proximior_." There was a faint blue glow around the couple, then their senses centered on the scene before them. It was as if their eyes and ears instantly zoomed in on the fairies and leimoniad. They both watch intently as they recited a creation incantation, the leimoniad moving her hands in a circular pattern, a frost flower blossoming out of the ground.

"_Flos flore, ignote sunt vitae, in te mala fascinare, levis animi benignitas._"

As the incantation left their mouths, the white bud glowed the light of fairy magic, growing and pulling to life, until it was a friera. They repeated the incantation twice until the friera bud began its bloom. An exchanging of coins took place, followed by an exchange of words about the next fairy bloom in three days—after the one they just created would completely blossom—then the fairies shrunk down and flew off and the leimoniad returned to her garden.

Missy glanced at Dalen, an excited grin on her face. He immediately knew what her wild mind was imagining. "You can't bloom creatures," he told her.

She frowned. "I didn't even say anything!"

"I know you, Missy," he stated. "But you're not a fairy, and you need a leimoniad. Witches can't bloom fairies"

"I won't know unless I try, Dal," she told him. "Where does it say that two witches can't create life just like fairies and leimoniad?"

"Well, it doesn't, but—"

"You won't know if you don't try," she repeated. "We all have magic for a reason." She paused, her gaze falling on the ground as she thought, then said, "You have to be curious about it too, Dal. We have so much power, but they constantly try to restrain us and our magic. I'm sure my four times great grandmother wouldn't approve of this. Neither should you."

Dalen sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face, knowing he wouldn't convince her otherwise. The least he could do was try to keep her safe. "We still need a leimoniad. I'm sure the friera leimoniad won't help us."

Missy seemed to ponder this thought for only a moment. "You use a blooming spell to grow flowers and I'll do the fairy incantation. That should cover it."

Missy and Dalen both knew that the friera leimoniad would curse them with the ferocity of a thousand suns if they were caught trying to replicate her magic in her own grove. The spell wouldn't work anywhere else, which left Dalen to cast a cloaking spell, one that, for several minutes, would shield them. When they were within the grove and Missy signaled him to begin the blooming spell, he could feel his energy draining, the unsettling nerves growing in his stomach. Dalen couldn't maintain a spell for more than a few minutes, much less two. The blooming spell broke first, Missy's incantation losing its host, though she was too far into it to break the spell.

The cloaking spell collapsed next, the friera leimoniad springing from her grove, eyes ablaze with an intensity unmatched. Time seemed to slow as the leimoniad, inflamed with rage, let out a ground shaking scream, her nature energy swirling around her, the white plants of the frost season rising out of the ground to contain the young couple. Dalen glanced at Missy, her eyes burning a bright blue as the incantation continued to leave her lips. She was completely unaware that they would be dead within seconds.

He crossed his arms in front of his body and shouted, "_Protévo!_" Another incantation left his lips, the two spells often said together. "_Syntriví!_" _Protect. Destroy._

The earth between him and the friera leimoniad exploded, chunks of dirt and grad sending the tree backwards and away from the grove.

.

The dust settled, the friera grove uprooted, unusable for months. The leimoniad would be unable to reform until the grove had been restored, never again to its full potential.

Dalen and Missy regained consciousness minutes after the explosion, heads pounding, body drained, magic depleted. Slowly, they sat up, looking around at the destruction they had caused.

"Dal," Missy whispered, then, more frantically said, "Dalen!"

He sat up, whirring around to find her. Her gaze was focused on the ground in front of her and he stumbled toward her, seeing she was staring at the uprooted friera, pulsing with life. Missy's aura radiated, her magic pulsing just like the friera's.

"She's alive," Missy whispered.

"Wha—"

"She's alive and she's dying," Missy whispered. "I have to save her."

Dalen watched, entranced, as she recited a spell he couldn't even hear. It shouldn't have been possible, but the friera bloomed, the white and blue petals opening, the pistil growing. The branches above them rustled, the large wings of alicorns alerting the two young witches to the approaching officers.

"Missy, we need to get out of here," Dalen said urgently.

Missy lifted her head, plucking the almost fully formed fairy from the plant and scampering to her feet, the two of them running away.

.

The consequences were harsh. For causing the explosion and destroying the grove of friera flowers, Dalen was stripped of his magic powers, nearly banished to the Terra realm if not for Missy pleading his case. As for the descendant of Davochi, she was given full responsibility of the barely formed fairy, though Dalen and Missy both knew that the little fairy was nearly full bloom, and had fairy and witch magic coursing through her veins.

They called her Addison, the daughter of Missy and Dalen, half fairy, half witch.

_~15 years later…~_

Addison jumped, her wings fluttering as her fingers grasped the branch above her head. She made sure her grip was firm before pulling herself up, grunting at the effort. Her sneakers scraped against the bark but she managed to climb up, sitting on the branch to catch her breath.

"Okay Addison, you got this," she muttered to herself. "It's just like walking. You got this. You're a fairy. You got this."

She shrunk down to her normal fairy size, the sharp, jagged bark now feeling like nothing under her tiny legs. She stood up, not bothering to peer over the edge. She knew what was down there, and if this worked, she wouldn't faceplant right into it, like she always did.

She backed up a step, then took off running, leaping off the edge of the branch. Her fairy instinct kicked in, her wings flapping rapidly and, for a brief moment, she was flying. The instinct could only carry her so far, and after a few seconds, she lost control of her wings, falling towards the hard ground covered in roots and rocks. She grew, knowing if she hit the soil in _crese_ form she'd most likely die, and covered her face with her hands. The sharp rocks, roots, and plants cut into her skin and she cried out, dirtying and tearing her clothes.

She lifted her head, groaning and rubbing the dirt from her face. "Well that went well," she grumbled. She shifted onto her knees, doing her best to dust off her white long sleeve and her pastel pink skirt, held in place by matching suspenders, then stood up. She bounced up and down on her heels, shaking out her limbs. Her wings fluttered and she looked toward the clear sky, letting the winter chill soothe her to the core. She was going to fly, she knew it. This was her year. She'd be fifteen in a week, she would learn to fly.

After two more failed attempts, she was dirty and drenched in sweat, the effort to heal herself expending her powers, and called it a day on flying lessons. Addison began her trek home, walking through the forest until she emerged on the dirt road. She trudged along, kicking stones and nearly squashing low flying pixies. The more she walked, the closer she got to the Square, the social center of the realm, where the majority of shops and restaurants were. The northern platform was where public hearings and messages taking place. Along the southwest curve of the Square was the rift between Seabrook and Nibbecyre, nearly three meters long, dark smoke oozing out of the fissure. About ten paces away from the crack was an entrance, between two black stone pillars, where all could walk freely between the two lands.

The clock rang out five times and Addison glanced up, seeing the sun already sinking low in the sky. She had been out since one in the afternoon, after she had finished her chores, and had been trying to fly for hours now. She went straight to _Milly & Co._, heading for her usual table and slinking into her chair. Her best friend, Bree, a bloom fairy with dark skin and colorful wings, lifted her head and smiled. They met everyday at five at their favorite restaurant, catching up and sharing snacks and drinks.

Bree's smile immediately turned into a frown. "You look awful," she stated.

"I was trying to fly," Addison grumbled. "The keyword being trying."

"Gosh, Addy, you're gonna get yourself killed if you keep jumping off of trees trying to fly!"

"How else am I supposed to learn, huh?" Addison asked.

Bree sighed, leaning forward onto her elbows. Addison was forbidden from training under witches and fairies alike, leaving her to learn witch magic from her parents and fairy magic from the few fairies who befriended her, all in secret.

"What type of fairy can't fly?" Addison muttered, her wings fluttering and buzzing with her annoyance.

"You'll get it, Addy," Bree assured her. "It's just like walking."

Addison nodded, hearing that stupid phrase countless times. It was _not_ like walking, because walking was simple. That was to say, flying should have been simple. It was something every fairy mastered by five years of life.

"What did you do today?" Addison asked her friend.

"Harvested some medicinal herbs. Swindled you're cousin. The usual." Bree shrugged and Addison giggled.

Their favorite waitress, an elf named Leanna, walked over, a tray balanced in her little hands with the basket of petals—potatoes that had been chopped into thin, petal shaped form, fried in peanut oil, and seasoned to golden perfect—and two glasses of jabba juice—a drink derived from the jabba fruit found only in the Jeldom forest, which was fermented in honey and spring water, then juiced on the wooden juicer of the juleem tree. Leanna placed the tray on the wooden platform, then began pulling the chain, lifting the tray up to the table. Addison and Bree unloaded it, giving Leanna their thanks before she went back to the kitchen.

"Svet's gonna seriously makes you regret swindling him," Addison said. "You really need to cool it."

"You're right, I'll leave him alone for three—no, two days."

Addison laughed, shaking her head. She waved her fingers, inciting a booster in her drink. She always thought it was strange to enchant food or drinks with booster, when casting the enchantment would drain her. Seemed like magic propaganda. She picked up the glass and took a long drink, her eyes fluttering closed as the drink warmed her from the inside out, revitalizing her and her magic. With a pleasurable sigh, she opened her eyes and smiled at her friend, reaching for the basket of petals.

"So besides learning to fly, what do have planned for your blossom day?" Bree asked.

Addison shrugged, cramming a handful of petals in her mouth. She crunched and swallowed, washing the salty treat down with jabba juice. "It will probably just be you and me and Svet and his pixies, at my cottage, eating and chatting."

"But you did that last year!" Bree whined. "You gotta party, Addy!"

"I don't think the Council will approve of me partying," Addison joked. "I would much rather have a small gathering with my friends then deal with another summoning."

"What do you want me to buy you then?" Bree asked. "Remember, anything you say I will buy times ten until you're drowning in gifts."

Addison let out a puff of air. She knew what she wanted for her bloom day, anyone who knew her knew what she wanted. The only thing she had _ever_ wanted, the ability to study the ways of both witches and fairy.

"Anything from the library would be fine," Addison told her friend. "I'm in need of some new reads."

"Oh! I know exactly what to get you!"

Addison forced a smile, taking another drink from her juice. Bree went off about some random topic, her train of thought jumpier than a bullfrog pumped up on caffeine. Addison tuned her out, nodded along and snacking. Bree really lived the life Addison dreamed of; she was a fully bloomed fairy, picked at optimal ripeness, who got to study under the elder fairies and, in a few years, would find a job doing what every fairy did. Addison had nothing set out for her. She couldn't be either a witch or a fairy, she couldn't do anything besides chores, and she would never learn how to fly.

* * *

Addison went through her usual morning lineup once she woke up the next morning: she got up, cleaned herself up, ate breakfast, fixed her room, cleaned the kitchen, then tidied up her home. Her parents would usually go to the market after breakfast, and Svet's mother was right next door, making sure Addison did her chores before letting her run off into the town.

Despite her failures, she persisted, and ran off into the forest, determined to learn to fly. She figured maybe, just maybe, she needed to climb higher up. In one of the books she had read, a superhero hadn't known he could fly until his life was on the line. She had been trying that before, but maybe the height she was doing wasn't as deadly as she thought.

Addison wandered through the forest, eyes cast toward the sky as she scoped out a large tree. Her ankles bumped against roots and stray branches, her feet nearly crushing low flying fairies or pixies, their shouts of protest falling on deaf ears. She had been walking for what seemed like ten minutes, long abandoning the path and weaving through the trees and bushes. Her eyes landed on the tallest tree she had ever seen, her neck straining when she tried to see the top. _This_ was her tree.

She didn't climb to the top, but she did her best to get as high as possible. Her hands grasped the bark, the jagged wood pressing into her palms. She refused to sit, the adrenaline coursing through her veins making her want to go for it. With a deep breath, she walked along the branch, arms stretched out for balance, stopping at the edge.

"Okay," she told herself. "On three. One...two...three!"

She leapt off the branch, shrinking in the air. Wind whistled in her ears, almost louder than her pounding heart. The muscles in her back strained, her wings flapping wildly with the first jump instinct. She ignored the impending doom of the ground hurtling toward her and concentrated on the ache in her back. It was a strange tightness that she'd never experienced before, which she presumed was the urge to fly. For a split second, she could flap her wings, more than just a reaction to her feelings or an instinct to protect her from falling. No, she was flying, actually really flying.

Two seconds passed, the tension dissipated, and she was back to falling again. Addison shrieked, her concentration split between attempting to flap her wings again and not dying. Her will to live trumped everything else and she grew, curling into a ball to shield anything important from being damaged.

Something other than the ground slammed into her body and she grunted, the external force wrapping around her and falling to the ground with her. They rolled, her ears pounding with the impact until she came to a stop, laying on top of a small log. Wait, no, the groaning that was coming from a mouth other than her own meant she must be lying on an arm. She turned her head, her eyes going wide at the sight of a rogue zombie beside her. His skin was pale, black, swollen veins racing under the surface. She had never seen a zombie in person, all she knew was that if the veins were black, they would attack.

She scurried to her feet, ignoring the surges of pain the flared through her body, stumbling away from the zombie. Her ears were filled with the anxious buzz of her wings, lifting her off the ground an inch. '_Go figure_,' she thought, annoyed.

The zombie let out a roar that sent birds scattering. Addison mindlessly backed up, her ankles hitting a large root and she tripped, letting out a shriek as she fell backwards. Instantly she sat up, searching frantically for the rogue zombie. The sky over her darkened and she lifted her head, the rogue zombie obstructing the sun, towering over her, snarling. Addison screamed, he lunged, and she flinched back, squeezing her eyes shut.

Instead of killing her, his hand covered her mouth. She winced, curling her lips to keep from touching the zombie. Several seconds passed and nothing happened, so she peeked an eye open, seeing he had a finger held to his lips. She gave him a slow nod and he removed his hand, crouching to kneel in front of her.

"_Gorgeska,_" he grunted. Addison furrowed her brows. She knew the suffix, -_ska_, was Old Zombie Tongue for referring to girls. She had no idea what the root, _gorge-_, meant.

He pointed to himself and said, "_M-meh, Zedaka_."

"Zed?" she asked. "Your name is Zed."

He grunted and nodded, trying for a smile but giving her more of a pained grimace. "My name is Addison," she told him.

"_Addiska,_" he repeated. "_Ah-dee-sa_."

Her lips twitched with the urge to smile. This zombie was kind of adorable, in a deadly kind of way. "Good," she told him. "You're Zed. I'm Addison."

"_Za_." He then lifted his left arm, pointing to the broken clasp of his metal band, an enchanted bracelet that made zombies more tame. "_Grend_. _Zokèn_." It sounded like mend and broken.

"You want me to fix it?" Addison asked.

He grinned again and nodded. "_Za!_"

Addison leaned forward and he held out his arm for her. She fumbled with the band, examining the broken clasp. She held the pieces together how it was supposed to lock, then muttered a mending incantation, watching the white frost magic leave her lips and swirl around his arm. It clicked back into place and his hand clenched into a fist, growling through his teeth as the magical bracelet went into effect.

Addison watched the veins recede from the surface, his pale skin gained a splash of color. The entire process was fascinating. Some witch had discovered a way to tame monsters, and, like most things related to magic, it was a beautiful process. Zed's panting pulled her attention from the magic and to his face, his cheeks flushed and his eyes screwed tight. Instantly, she filled with worry, fearing she had messed up her spell and it had backfired on him.

"Zed?" she asked, her voice frantic. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he breathed between pants. He gritted his teeth and muttered a curse. "I'm fine," he gritted out.

Addison didn't believe him, but didn't know what else to do. Most witches were trained to deal with the monsters from Nibbecyre, including her parents, but since she was only part witch, she was forbidden from learning. Several more seconds passed of Zed's deep, heavy breathing, until he managed to calm down into a normal stride, lifting his head to meet her eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered, large, dark eyes bearing into her soul, giving off the same aura of the gentlest unicorn despite the dark red skin surrounding his eyes. His dark eyebrows relaxed for the first time since she'd met the zombie, a stark contrast against his pale skin. Her heart pounded in her chest, her stomach twisting in unfamiliar knots. This zombie boy—Zed—was doing strange things to her. Things she'd never thought possible. Even her wings were buzzing in time to her pounding heart, nearly lifting her off the ground.

"It was nothing," she breathed. "I-um-how did it happen?"

"There was a manticore attack," he explained. "Lots of defenseless children. I, um, led it away from our home, managed to...to…" He frowned, looking down at the ground. Addison followed his gaze, noticing for the first time that his shirt was torn, claw marks stretching across his torso surrounded by drying black blood and healing skin.

"It was a blur, really," he admitted. "But I accidentally came through the Rift. I think I just kept running, until I saw you, falling."

"I can fix that, you know," she told him, gesturing to his scars.

His eyebrows went up in surprise and he was quick to protest, "You don't have to worry, I don't want to be a bother—"

Addison ignored him, scooting closer. She held her hands out toward his scars, focusing on the torn flesh. The air between them thickened and she could see her magic flowing from her body, White glittering tendrils extending to him. "_Epidior thóse spasmé píso_," she spoke, her magic weaving through his flesh like a needle, closing the wound. Once the last word cleared from the air, her vision went back to normal, her white hair falling back over her shoulders.

"That was even more impressive then you fixing my band," he said.

"Thank you," she told him. "Not just for the compliment. For saving me. I probably would've broken a lot of bones if it weren't for you."

"It was nothing," he said, smiling and brushing her off. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"It's...stupid," she muttered, glancing to the ground. Her face was heating up, more embarrassment washing over her. There was no way she'd tell the cute zombie boy that she was a fairy who couldn't fly. It'd then prompt a conversation about her stupid parents and her entire humiliating backstory would be revealed.

"I tried to fight a manticore," he said. "_Everything_ I do is stupid."

Addison giggled, her head ducking bashfully. She glanced up at him and saw him smiling. He was too cute for his own good.

"If I tell you, you can't ask any questions."

"Okay."

"And you can't go around telling everybody in the realm."

"Right."

Addison nodded, rolling her lip between her teeth. Her mind played back her life story, picking out little details she would tell and ones he didn't need to know. She had a strange feeling that she could trust this boy, despite the fact that they'd just met. Something about him made her want to open up.

"I can't fly, and I have been trying to teach myself how to. Trying and failing, if you couldn't tell."

Zedd eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "You can't fly? I thought all fairies could fly?"

"No questions, remember." He clamped his mouth shut and nodded, and Addison forced down a giggle. "But, um, I don't want to get too much into it, but there were some..._complications_, regarding my bloom, and I'm not a 'proper fairy.' I've got some witch magic in me."

He made a face at the last comment. "There's no way you've got witch magic, witches are mean, ugly, power-hungry monsters. And you're...not. Gorgeous." he said, unsure of his words. Addison's eyebrows rose in surprise. "I mean, not you're not gorgeous, you're breathtaking. And witches are...not. I-I'm sorry, you're probably really creeped out because some random zombie is calling you gorgeous and...I'm gonna shut up now."

Addison giggled, cut off by a powerful, deafening roar, the ground shaking. The color drained from Zed's face and Addison's smile morphed into horror. "Oh no," Zed whispered. Then, louder and frantic, he shouted, "Get up! Quick!"

They both jumped up, Zed grabbing her arm and running off into the forest. "What's going on?" Addison shouted.

"The manticore! It followed me! Come on!"

Addison let him pull her along, weaving through the trees as he dragged her about. Her feet barely touched the ground, the terror coursing through her powering her wings to buzz faster than she'd ever known them to. Still, over the buzz, she could hear the sound of gigantic wings flapping, roses and grunts as the manticore slashed through the forest, knocking down trees that were in its way.

They ducked under a branch, taking a sharp right turn and sliding in mud, going to fast to stop. Addison's feet weren't even touching the ground anymore, her wings moving so rapidly she was flying several inches off the ground. She only noticed when Zed came to a sudden stop in the middle of a clearing and she was still in the air.

There was no time to focus on the feat. They were both out of breath, the only thing louder than their sharp intakes of air being the roars of the manticore closing in on them. "Why'd we stop?" she panted.

Zed didn't answer, his gaze focused on the tree across from him. She followed his eyeline, confused at the sight of thick, stout, willow-like tree, covered in red and orange leaves, clouds of dark smoke spurting like little geysers at its roots. It looked strangely like the tree of Refiere, the Fire realm. The fiery leaves were a stark contrast against the black and purple sky, never ending nothingness spanning past the clearing, and with sickening realization, Addison knew they had left their own realm and stepped in the Glade of Chora, a special clearing where the trees of all the realms stood.

She stared with wide eyes at the zombie who was taking slow steps toward the tree of Refiere. "Zed?" Her voice trembled, the stories of people who escaped their realms and got transfixed with jumping from realm to realm flashed in her mind. Multiple realm jumps were dangerous, draining ones energy the same way magic did; her body was already stiff from the exertion of the mending spell she'd performed, in addition to the jump they'd just made.

"We're going to Refiere," he stated. "The fire geysers should kill it."

"_Should?_"

His head snapped in her direction and she immediately clamped up, a dangerous level of seriousness evident in his eyes. "Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Um, no, I just met you!"

The ground shook and they both froze, sharing a fearful look. "I promise, I won't let you get hurt," he told her. "Trust me!"

He grabbed her arm and ran with her in tow. The sound of wood splitting broke through the tranquility of clearing and Addison didn't need to turn around to see that the manticore had followed them. They both charged to the tree, bursting through the wood and into Refiere.

* * *

Addison had never moved through realms before and it hurt worse than anything she had ever experienced. The skin on her arms burned first, then tingled, the pain of a thousand needles piercing every square inch of skin. Her wings fizzled with white hot pain, traveling from the very tips all the way down to her muscles, spreading throughout her body. She was sweating and freezing all at once, water falling from her eyes and burning against her cheeks.

The sky flashed a bright red, blinding her. The wind whistled past her ears, louder than her screams. Zed's fingers gripped her arm, his cold skin a stark contrast to the burning of hers. He wrapped around her, his chest pressing into her back, then they hit the ground, Zed letting out a pain filled groan. His arms were caging her in and Addison struggled to get free.

"Stay down," he whispered.

Her wings stung, folded uncomfortably between their two bodies. She twisted and he loosened her hold, letting her turn onto her stomach until they were facing each other. He gave her a weak smile, their noses bumping against each other. Behind her, there was a booming roar and his face blanking with terror. His lips were moving though no sound was coming out. Then he dug his fingers into her sides, an intense stinging spreading throughout her body. She hissed, her wings unfurling and jutting out.

The manticore roared, much closer than it had been earlier. She panicked, struggling out of his grip. He tightened his hold on her, eyes urgent. The ground beneath them shook, followed by a loud booming and an ear splitting shriek. Zed let out a breath of relief, his eyes closing. "Thank Z," he muttered, releasing his hold on her.

Addison scurried to her feet and Zed did the same. "What happened?" she asked.

Zed spread his arms wide, giving her a grin that looked more like a happy snarl. "Welcome to Refiere."

She blinked, looking around at the red and orange sky. It was a gross, sticky kind of hot and she could feel the sweat rolling for her back despite the fact that she'd only been there for a few minutes. The ground was black and jagged, and every few minutes a geyser of fire would erupt around them. There was nothing else for miles.

"How...how do I get home?" she asked slowly, her head swimming. It was like moving through water, her mind was foggy and thick, everything about her body growing heavy—even her usually weightless wings.

Zed gave her an inquisitive look. "Are you okay? You look like you might—" Her knees wobbled and she groaned as she fell forward, Zed reacting quickly enough to keep her from hitting the ground.

"Geez, you're burning up!" he exclaimed as he held her, his voice far off and words slurring together. Her vision was tunneling quickly and it hurt to try to focus on anything.

"Too…hot," she murmured.

"Addy! Addy, stay with me!" he panicked, his voice fading in and out in time with her consciousness.

* * *

Addison blinked, her senses slowly returning to her, she was cold and wet all over, the temperature chilling through her muscles and relieving her every nerve ending. A soft sigh left her lips and she wasn't further into the cold. Wherever she was, whatever she was in was warping the sounds around her. She tensed, knowing there were people around her, listening to the indistinguishable sounds of a conversation above her.

Her eyes fluttered open and she squinted at the dimly lit room, two shadows of people hovering over her. With a gasp, she sat up, pain glaring up her spine and spreading throughout her back. The shadowy figures abruptly stopped and Addison winced, blindly fumbling around until her slippery fingers grasped the porcelain walls around her. Wait.

The last hour flashed in her mind: meeting the zombie, being chased by a manticore, _jumping realms. _It was all surreal, she could hardly believe any of it were true.

"Where am I?" she gasped, her voice raw and dry.

"Thank Lilith!" Zed exclaimed. Addison blinked hard, forcing her eyes to adjust to the dimness and focus on Zed. "I thought you were dead!"

Her mind was foggy and she squinted at him. "Zed? Where are you?"

"E! The lights!"

The other person grumbled and shuffled around, then a soft, orange glow illuminated the room. The bathroom. Standing at the far wall was a girl, probably a little older than Addison was. Her warm, hazel skin was glowing under the lights, her dark, tight curls dancing on her shoulders with flames on the tips. She radiated nothing but confidence and power and Addison shrunk within herself, slinking into the bathtub. This woman looked nothing short of a goddess.

"Addison, right?" she asked, walking towards her, the jewels on her yellow and orange gown shimmering as she moved. "Welcome to Refiere, I'm Eliza, and I'd like to apologize for this idiot trying to kill you."

"Hey!" Zed cried indignantly.

Eliza whipped around to face him, the flames on her hair growing in intensity. "You brought a frost fairy to the fire realm!" Eliza huffed, turning back to Addison. She smiled, her flames calming down to a small sizzle. It was...freaky, the way they responded to her emotions.

"As I was saying, I'm Eliza, Queen of Ursa." Addison's brows furrowed down, prompting Queen Eliza to explain, "Ursa is the dominant kingdom in the realm. There are five, were at the eastern most edge, closest to The Forest."

"Uh, okay." Addison glanced down, seeing her lower half was submerged in ice. "What's with the...ice?"

"It's an enchanted broth. _Zed_ almost killed you." Queen Eliza shot towards the zombie in question and he dropped his head down in shame. "He brought you to me, seeing as only a handful of my people can perform magic."

"Oh."

Queen Eliza leaned in, saying in a mock whisper, "He was begging on his knees, it was hilarious." Addison giggled, her eyes fleeting to the zombie. He looked at her with his head bowed and gave her a nervous smile.

"You're also completely drained, let's get some food in you, huh?"

Addison nodded, taking her time with rising from the ice. A lot of it was melted and had soaked through her clothes. Although she was part frost fairy, she wasn't immune to the concept of soaked clothing getting her sick, and opened her mouth to express her concerns to Queen Eliza.

"I've got you," Queen Eliza said before Addison could speak. "I've got something lying around, hopefully in your size."

Addison nodded again. Zed's cold fingers brushed her arm and she snapped her head in his direction. He gave a smile that eased her nerves, offering her his hand. She gave him a gracious smile and took it, using his help to climb out of the tub. The instant she was out of the freezing water, the heat began to set in, a sticky, sweltering heat that was turning the water she was still soaked in uncomfortable. Zed stepped closer to her, tilting his head down until his breath ghosted the shell of her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"I'll be right outside," he promised. "You can trust her."

"Okay." She swore he pressed his lips against her temple, then pulled away, walking behind her and exiting the bathroom, leaving her alone with the queen.

"Follow me," Queen Eliza said, walking in the opposite direction.

They went through a large white door and entered a dimly lit, narrow hallway. Addison walked closely behind the queen, using her hair as a light source. The walls were lined with smooth boulders, carved with strange symbols. It was damp and hot all at once and Addison pulled at her wet sweater, unsticking it from her skin. Queen Eliza stopped and Addison peeked over her shoulder, watching her ignite a fire in her palm and press it into the wall. Her flame sheathed hand wrapped around a handle and she pushed the door open, stepping and waiting for Addison to follow her.

"Woah," she breathed, her eyes barely able to process the grandeur of the room. It was bigger than her entire cottage, the wall to her right lined from ceiling to floor with every pair of shoes imaginable. In the middle of the room were plush ottomans, the wall furthest from where they were stacked with drawers and the one to her left a revolving closet jam-packed with clothing.

Addison turned to the queen, ignoring her smirk and asked, "These are all yours?" Queen Eliza nodded, walking towards the revolving portion. Addison looked around again, a mesmerized smile on her face and squealed, jogging over to join Queen Eliza.

* * *

Addison followed Queen Eliza, her arms crossed over her middle. Her shoulders were hunched and her wings buzzed nervously. The dim halls were empty, save the balls of fire Addison knew were the castle guards, spirits known as _Fie_. The spirits didn't have eye contact and yet Addison kept her head low, avoiding their gaze. They turned a corner and stopped, and Addison glanced up to see they had found their way back to Zed. Her wings fluttered with relief, then immediately straightened from her nervousness.

"Admire my handiwork," Queen Eliza stated. "I'm going to head down for breakfast. You know the way."

Queen Eliza continued down the hall and Addison shifted her gaze between Zed and the floor. She shivered although it was uncomfortably humid. "Hey…" Zed said, drawing her attention up to his face. "What's wrong?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was a little cold?" Addison said with a smile, trying for a joke.

Zed cracked a smile, his eyes flitting over the tan leather shorts and white tank top that she had tucked into her shorts. Eliza has suggested the cotton garment not only because it would keep her cool but also because the majority of the back was cut out, allowing ample room for her wigs.

"Are frost fairies always cold?" Zed asked.

Addison nodded, looking back at the ground. "I don't really understand it," she admitted. "It's so hot here, and I'm shivering. It doesn't make any sense."

Zed chuckled, sliding off his jacket and holding it out for her. She started to refuse but he just raised an eyebrow at her, not giving her much an option. She sighed, taking the garment from his outstretched hand. She clutched it, whispering an enchantment over the jacket, then slipped it on, the enchantment allowing her wings to slip through the fabric. The material seemed thin but the bulk of the jacket warmed her arms. She smiled up at him and he laughed, the jacket swallowing her from how much bigger it was on her.

"Thank you," Addison said. "Did Queen Eliza mention breakfast?"

"Yeah, come on." Zed held out his hand for her and she stared for a moment, then slid her hand in his, following him down the hall.

"How does time work in different realms?" Addison asked. "It was, like, the middle of the afternoon when we left Seabrook."

"Right…" Zed trailed off. His free hand reached up and he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Time's not much different between realms, unless you're in Terra. But, well, you've been out for...seventeen hours?"

"_Seventeen_—?"

"I know it's bad, and we would've gone right home, but-but you were completely blown! You wouldn't make the jumps, you were so pale." He stopped and turned to face her, taking her other hand in his. Addison lifted her head, her heart and wings fluttering at their proximity. He was a whole head taller than her and craning down to be close to eye level.

"I can't let you get hurt again."

A blissful sigh left her lips and she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. He released her hands and hugged her, pulling her closer. "Thank you," she whispered. They had only met a day ago, and the majority of that time she was unconscious, and yet he was so caring and protective of her. She didn't understand how a monster from Nibbecyre could be so compassionate.

"I'll take you home right after breakfast, I promise." He pressed his lips to the top of her head, rubbing her back affectionately. "Come on, Eliza's waiting."

* * *

Queen Eliza and Zed had boisterous conversation while Addison sat quietly next to Zed, eating. Everything was smoked and flavorful and absolutely delicious. She didn't need to spend her energy enchanting the food either; Queen Eliza has already assured her that it would give her the magic boost she would need. The Great Hall was well illuminated by the blinding white sun shining through the floor to ceiling windows on two adjacent walls. The three of them were sitting at the front of a long table that stretched almost the full length of the room, Queen Eliza at the head and Zed and Addison on her right. _Fie_ would shimmer through the hall every few moments, but other than that it was remotely empty. It was strange, actually. Most castles were bustling with servants and maids. There weren't even cooks around.

Addison waited until Zed and Queen Eliza's conversation paused so they could both eat to say, "If you don't mind me asking," Queen Eliza and Zed both looked at her curiously, "why is it so empty in here? Shouldn't there be...maids and servants and such?"

"I reduced my staff by eighty percent," Queen Eliza explained. "So we could have more able bodies for the war."

"The...the war?"

Zed scoffed, shaking his head. "Stupid witches," he grumbled, stabbing angrily at his seared mushrooms.

"Excuse me?" Addison asked.

Queen Eliza put her fork down and began to explain, "The witches are trying to conquer Refiere. They've already deployed parts of their monster forces against us. It's only a matter of time until—"

"Wait," Addison interrupted. "Why would the witches want Refiere? Witches don't…they don't do things like that. They _stopped_ the vampires from destroying Seabrook's democracy."

Zed and Queen Eliza shared a knowing look that had Addison completely stumped. She wasn't missing something, at least she didn't think so. Every creature in Seabrook knew that the witches were the only things that saved Seabrook from utter disaster.

"Who told you that story?" Queen Eliza asked.

"My-my parents did, but it's true, isn't it? It's not just some story!"

"Addison," Queen Eliza said, her hands folded in a calm demeanor. "The witches have been trying to rule over all nine realms for centuries. They started with Seabrook, they've got Nibbecyre, now they're after my realm."

Addison shook her head, her mind swimming. None of that made sense. There weren't even nine realms! She glanced at Zed, who couldn't look more serious, and deflated. Deep inside of her, she knew that they were speaking the truth. The truth that meant that everything she knew and believed was wrong. Even her own parents were the villains.

"All witches want is more power," Zed added. "They've been stealing fairy magic for years. They forced my people into obedient slaves. The vampires were the only ones who even stood a chance at stopping them."

"That…that can't be true," she protested.

"Addison—"

"No!" She stood up, pushing her chair back. "No! I-I won't let you fill my head with these-these lies!"

She rushed away from them, ignoring Zed shouting after her and running out of the Great Hall. She stopped, unsure what she should do or where she should go. All she wanted was to be far away from there, from Zed and Queen Eliza and the lies they were spewing.

Addison froze at the sound of footsteps behind her, closing her eyes, trying to block out Zed's, "Addy! Wait!" He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. Her eyes flew open, anger rising within her.

"I-I won't let you-you _poison_ me! I want to go home, Zed! Take me home!"

"Addison, please, you need to hear me out."

"Why?" she demanded, throwing her arms out. "I don't even know you!"

"But I know you!" he shouted, eyes wild and nostrils flared. Addison reared back, completely stunned. Zed closed his eyes and sighed, whispering. "I-I know you, Addison. And I need you. I need your help."

Her eyes searched his face, gauging the conflict within him. He wasn't making much sense anymore, there was no way he could know her, she'd never even seen him until that day—yesterday. She waited until he opened his eyes and continued speaking. "The witches' conquered Nibbecyre pretty easily, we didn't have much of a structure going on. And they took as their opportunity to get some free labor, so they wouldn't have to pay brownies anymore."

He rolled up his shirt and pointed at the seared skin along his rib cage, her family crest. Addison stomach tumbled, the bile rising within her.

"I was only two when your parents took me from my family," he said, letting his shirt fall back down. Addison opened her mouth to speak but Zed went on. "And I was there. They almost killed you, but—I was there when they destroyed the grove, and I held you and protected you. I begged them to stop-stop hurting you. Missy used her magic to save you from wilting, and she used my life forced to keep you alive. I was their slave, and after they nearly gave you all my life force, they tossed me back to Nibbecyre to _die_."

Addison furrowed her brows, shaking her head and backing away from him. Her eyes stung with the effort not to cry. He was wrong, more wrong then he knew. Her mother expended her magic to keep her alive. They didn't own a zombie, they would have told her. She refused to believe him.

"No, that's not—witches don't have slaves! We are not connected—"

He softened up, his body relaxing and his voice gentler. "I know you feel it, Addy, and it scares the crap out of you, how much you're drawn to me."

"Stop," she pleaded. "I just want to go home."

"Do you?"

She sniffed, the tears rolling down her cheeks. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of making her cry but his words stung, making her ache from her core.

"You need answers, Addy, we all do."

She averted her gaze, finding the air hard to breathe. She didn't want to believe he was right, but it all sounded true. And she couldn't find any reason for either Zed or Queen Eliza to lie to her.

"Listen, Adds," he said in a low, soft voice. "You don't have to believe us. We can just finish breakfast and I'll take you home and we'll pretend like none of this ever happened. You'll go back to your fairytale, I'll go back to Nibbecyre."

She looked him in the eyes, her uncertainty clear in her lip tremble. "Is there a second option?"

His eyebrows rose, his eyes widening in surprise. "You mean…finding answers?"

She nodded, biting her lip briefly. "I need to know for myself, if what you're saying is true. If witches really are terrible. And I don't even know where to start. I need your help."

"Really?"

She smiled and nodded, walking past him and back into the Great Hall. She didn't need to turn to know he was following her. The two of them sat back in their seats, Addison leaning on the table and looking at Queen Eliza, who raised an eyebrow at them.

"Are you feeling any better?" Queen Eliza asked.

"We're going to find out the truth," Addison said.

She looked at Zed, surprised. "You're gonna try and find your family?"

Addison whirred, her attention snapping to Zed. "Excuse me what?"

Zed chuckled, rubbing his neck. "The truth about witches, Eliza, not that other stuff."

"Wait, hold on."

Queen Eliza and Zed both ignored her. "But you've been trying to find your family for years," Queen Eliza said. "What else could you be looking for?"

"We're gonna find what started this war," Zed stated.

"And find your family," Addison interjected, drawing Zed's attention.

"Addy, it's not that big of a deal—"

"Yes it is," she insisted. She looked at Queen Eliza, raising an expectant eyebrow. "What do you mean by finding his family? Aren't they in Nibbecyre?"

"Most biped monsters were traded among witches," Queen Eliza explained. "They're spread out all through the nine realms."

"What? I didn't know witches were in different realms."

"As far as I know, they're stationed their as watchdogs or whatever so they can scope out the next realm to conquer." Eliza shrugged, shaking her head. "Zed's been trying to find his family since he got tossed out on his butt, but witches don't keep records accessible by anyone who's not a witch."

Addison nodded, gauging in all the information. Her first time out of Seabrook and she was going to partake in a _real_ adventure. She held back her squeal, going back to her breakfast.

* * *

_**END OF PART I**_

* * *

_**part II coming Feb. 14. 2020**_


End file.
